The Late Movies: The World Cup!

The World Cup kicks off tomorrow, with the host country South Africa taking on Mexico. Tonight for the Late Movies, here are some clips to get you revved up for the greatest sporting event in the world.

Diego Maradona, current manager of the Argentinean National Team, La Albiceleste (The White and Sky blue), has had a colorful run in the world of soccer. He was suspended for cocaine use in Italy. He had the infamous "Hand Of God" goal, a play where he deflected a ball into the net using his hand (the play was missed by the refs and he was granted a goal). He is a huge TV personality in his home country. Through all this, it's easy to forget how brilliant he was on the pitch. Here is one of his most famous goals.

Nike released this commercial starring an incredible lineup of 2010 World Cup stars including Ronaldo, Drogba, Cannavaro, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, Franck Ribéry, Landon Donavan, Ronaldinho, Tim Howard and Cesc Fabregas (among others). It's meta, it's overdone and it's awesome.

Here is the Official FIFA World Cup Theme Song, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan.

If you ever thought the Thundersticks (used by the Anaheim Angels during their 2002 World Series run -- but actually originally used at sporting events in Korea) were a way to inspire your team and make some noise, let me introduce you to the Vuvuzela. While watching a soccer match, you may recognize the constant hum of these horns in the background. Here is a clip on the history of the instrument.

According to the BBC, here are the top 10 goals from the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Here is a clip about the venue that will be used for the World Cup final this year, Soccer City, located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The architecture is gorgeous.

Not without a bit of controversy, Adidas has dramatically changed the ball used for this year's World Cup. The concept, however, is fairy significant. Here is a brief clip about the ball, called Jabulani, which means "to celebrate" in Zulu.

Enjoy the games!